Search

A careful reading of Cronbach and Snow's "Aptitudes and Instructional Methods" reveals that an aptitude-treatment-interaction (ATI) approach is not just a research methodology but is, in fact, a theory oriented philosophy of proposed revision in curriculum and instructional methodology. It is our contention that as a theoretical argument the ATI approach extends current practice in a desirable direction but that this approach, like those it is intended to replace, seriously limits the possibility of optimal adaptation to individual differences. This paper attempts to identify the theoretical premises of the Cronbach/Snow argument and to propose alternatives which are less limiting. A new theoretical methodology, based on these alternative premises, is described. It is suggested that the study of ATI's may be unnecessary for the optimal adaptation of instruction to individual differences. (Author)

A review was made of current practices, problems, and related efforts to improve public education. It showed that teachers have been asked to perform an impossible instructional task, and to improve public education a systematic study of the important relevant variables must be initiated. These findings need to be implemented in systematic instructional programs which draw on advanced knowledge of curriculum, instructional methodology, learner variables, and instructional delivery systems. However, psychological research evidence is not directly applicable to the nonlaboratory learning situations in schools. Also, there is little, if any, established data about teaching which is widely accepted. On the other hand, the recognition of trait-treatment interaction analysis is an important milestone despite current criticisms. In addition, computer generated instructional materials have been quite positive when compared to traditional instruction. Programatic research efforts will be required to identify the appropriate variables and relationships and incorporate them into a single adaptive interactive instructional system which can have widespread application. (WCM)

Reconstructing media research so that generalizable knowledge can be produced requires an increased emphasis on attributes of media which interact with individual differences to effect learning. In order to accomplish this, media researchers must make a distinction between research "with" media and research "on" media. Privious efforts to systematize the selection of media for instruction by developing taxonomies generally have not been derived from previous research; they also do not draw on previous efforts to organize or conceptualize individual differences in learners. An alternative approach to the structuring and testing of media attribute taxonomies might list attributes to be validated by forming a three-dimensional matrix of subjects, behaviors, and attributes. The matrix is then collapsed across each of the three factors in turn and intercorrelations factored. By collapsing across subjects, for example, it is possible to compute the correlations between all the pairs of media attributes on specific behaviors and factor analyze the intercorrelation matrix. Factors would represent functionally similar media attributes; i.e., clusters of attributes which tend to elicit the same behavior. The result would form the basis of a media taxonomy for research purposes. (Author/WCM)

The effects of variation in instructional media design for all learners and for low and high ability learners considered separately are investigated in this paper, and the results are collected into a set of prescriptions for instructional media design. The literature of the aptitude-treatment interaction field is reviewed, and 10 statements on learning are made which are considered generally supported by the research. These are collected into separate lists of factors or variables that disproportionately benefit either high mental ability students or low mental ability students. Those instructional procedures that benefit low ability learners are characterized as largely serving a "compensatory" function, that is, they provide the mediators, organization, and modality that the students cannot provide for themselves. In turn, the instructional procedures that benefit high ability students serve a "preferential" function by calling on and utilizing their higher aptitudes. These generalizations are then expanded to form very detailed prescriptions for instructional media design, depending on the mental ability of the learners. (WH)